Panel OKs racing dates, layout for casino table games

LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Racing Commission on Thursday signed off on next year’s racing dates for Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs and the Southland Casino Racing in West Memphis as well as the layout of table games for the Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff.

The seven-member commission unanimously approved Oaklawn’s proposal to have 57 thoroughbred horse racing days in 2021, starting Jan. 22 and ending May 1.

Then, the commission unanimously approved Southland’s proposal to conduct live greyhound racing in 2021, opening Jan. 1 through June 30 during its first meet and opening July 1 through Dec. 31 during its second meet.

During the first and second meets, Southland plans to operate for live greyhound racing and twilight performances on Sunday, Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday with no live racing on Tuesday or Wednesday, according to Southland’s application for racing dates. There would be no live racing April 4; Nov. 25; and Dec. 24 and 25.

“The total number of races is just under 4,000” for 2021, and it’s in sync with the agreement with the Arkansas Greyhound and Kennel Association and the threeyear race plan that Southland submitted to the commission last year, said Shane Bolender, racing director at Southland.

As for Southland’s racing dates in 2021, commissioner Denny East of Marion said “that sounds fine to me.”

Live greyhound racing has been going on at Southland since 1956

In October, Southland Racing Corp. and the Arkansas Greyhound Kennel Association agreed to gradually phase out greyhound racing at the West Memphis track by Dec. 31, 2022. Southland has been having about 6,500 races a year.

The commission on Thursday also unanimously approved the layout of seven table games for Saracen Casino Resort.

Byron Freeland, legal counsel for the commission, said Jennifer Rushing, who is the casino gambling manager for the state Department of Finance and Administration, has reviewed and approved the layout for seven table games, contingent on the commission’s approval, for Saracen Casino Resort.

“I have looked at it and it appears to me to meet our rules,” Freeland said.

Carlton Saffa, chief marketing officer for Saracen Casino Resort, told Commission Chairman Alex Lieblong that “I’ll fill you in how we are doing at Saracen later.

“But I wanted to alert the commissioners that we will begin our soft opening on the 15th and you all will be receiving a formal invitation in the mail for the 15th,” Saffa said. “We would love if you all could make it to visit us in Pine Bluff on the 15th and I’ll leave it that.”

Lieblong said that “we all want to hear” about Saracen Casino Resort.

“It is kind of awkward doing this on the phone, but we look forward to hearing a full report from you hopefully in the near future,” Lieblong said during the commission’s virtual meeting with the audio being broadcast by Arkansas PBS.